Before and after that moment, though, the band's concert was a study in the tension inherent in their music these days, their new serious, politically conscious image and rock-oriented sound at odds with the earthy, apolitical country of their earlier work. It seems that with all the attention paid to the Chicks' evolution into outspoken activists (spurred on by Maines' infamous anti-Bush remarks back in 2003), not nearly as much attention has been paid to the fact that they've turned from a groundbreaking country act into a middle-of-the-road rock band.
But any of the seven songs the Chicks brought out from their new album Taking the Long Way showed just how far they've strayed from country, leaving fiddler Maguire and multi-instrumentalist Robison often relegated to minimal supporting roles musically, their skills not quite fitting in with the somber, guitar-driven sound of tunes like "Everybody Knows" and "Easy Silence." On a couple of numbers, Maguire did nothing but sing harmony.
Even some of the band's earlier songs received awkward rock makeovers, with the bluegrass subtleties of "Truth No. 2" buried under electric guitars and intrusive drumming, and the sweet country of "Ready to Run" made into generic roots-rock. Drummer Fred Eltringham bludgeoned nearly every song to death, and the steel guitar and even Robison's banjo were often barely audible. But just when you thought the Chicks had turned into more attractive versions of John Mellencamp, they broke out the pure bluegrass one-two punch of "White Trash Wedding" (dedicated to Kevin Federline) and the instrumental "Lil' Jack Slade," or Maguire ripped into some amazing fiddle work on "Cowboy Take Me Away" and "Wide Open Spaces."
Contrast that with brand new song "The Neighbor," a bland rocker that revisited the Chicks' current penchant for political martyrdom. "You can turn me off/But I'll still be here," Maines sang. The questions is, will she still be worth listening to?